Known locking elements are designed as flat washers with an exterior, circular cylindrical area, from which spring tongues extend radially to the center of the circular area. The spring tongues, which are spaced apart, leave a diametrical region in the center of the washer open, through which a fitting shaft to be locked can be slid. Such locking elements, punched out of spring steel, can be used for the purpose of locking, when placed around the fitting shaft, which, for example, is slid through a fitting passage borehole of a counter region.
In order to mount the known locking element on the fitting shaft, the locking element must, in principle, be slid on the shaft starting from the base of the shaft.